Department for Transport

Shared Spaces: Disability

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that shared space schemes address the needs of disabled people; and whether they intend to commit, in the Department for Transport Accessibility Action Plan, to update the 2011 Local Transport Note, as recommended by the Select Committee on the Equality Act 2010 and Disability (Session 2015–16).

baroness sugg: Local authorities are responsible for the design of their public spaces and have a duty to take account of the needs of disabled people. The Government is absolutely clear that the needs of the whole community should be considered when councils are looking to introduce any public realm scheme, including shared space. The Department for Transport has been working with the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) on its review of shared space and other street design schemes. The review has considered a wide range of issues regarding shared space, and we expect CIHT’s report to make recommendations for further work, including in relation to current guidance. The Government will respond to those recommendations in due course.

Motorcycles: Licensing

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of mopeds operating in the fast-food delivery business whose riders have only a provisional licence.

baroness sugg: No estimate has been made. However, there are currently about 380,000 riders who hold a certificate of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT). CBT is valid for two years, during this time learner riders are expected to gain experience and take further training prior to taking their motorcycle theory and practical tests. CBT is valid to ride motorcycles and scooters up to 125cc as well as mopeds.

Motorcycles: Licensing

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they collect statisticsregarding the number of accidents involving moped riders with provisional licences; and if so, whether those statistics are available by geographical area.

baroness sugg: Statistics on the number of accidents involving moped riders with provisional licences are available for around half of the police forces in Great Britain. Consequently, comparisons by geographical area will not be complete or comparable.

Ferries: Irish Sea

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Brexit on ferry services in the Irish Sea.

baroness sugg: The Government's aim is that maritime trade with the EU, including Ireland, should continue to be as frictionless as possible. With that aim in mind, we are looking at the impact of exit on ferry services throughout the United Kingdom.

Aviation: Egypt

lord stone of blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk to UK citizens resulting from their decision to ban flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh.

baroness sugg: Department for Transport makes regular assessments of the risk posed to flights inbound to and outbound from the UK. We share the former with the relevant host government, to agree on appropriate security measures, but for obvious reasons do not publish such assessments.

Home Office

Offences against Children

lord sherbourne of didsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 7 November (HL2758), whether they have any evidence of public concern caused by Operation Conifer, which was undertaken by Wiltshire Police.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has received a small number of letters from members of the public about Operation Conifer.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

South Georgia: Rescue Services

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition was denied approval to operate a rescue helicopter in South Georgia earlier this year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands takes very seriously its responsibilities for the protection of the remote and environmentally sensitive territory it administers. The operating environment on the islands is such that the Government requires that any helicopter activity meets its stringent rules in relation to safety and environmental protection, consequently helicopter use is only permitted in exceptional circumstances, such as the recent South Georgia rodent eradication programme. Given the requirements of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition it was not feasible to develop similar arrangements on this occasion in the timeframe available.

Arms Trade: Exports

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding the ongoing sale of weapons to nationswhich have been shown tohave used UK-manufactured weaponsfor the purpose ofillegal attacks or other human rights abuses.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. We examine every application rigorously on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Risks around human rights abuses are a key part of our assessment. We do not export equipment where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law or would provoke or prolong conflict within a country, or would be used aggressively against another country.

South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's South Sudan peace process; whether they intend to propose any new diplomatic approach to ending the conflict; and what steps the international community has taken to involve a broad section of civil society, including (1) faith groups, (2) young people, and (3) women’s groups, in that process.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK continues to encourage all sides to respond positively to the IGAD initiative to revive the peace process, negotiate a ceasefire, and improve humanitarian access. IGAD's Revitalisation Forum is a critical opportunity. With his Troika counterparts, the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan has recently held discussions with key senior officials and ministers of IGAD member states, and the leaders of a range of South Sudanese parties to the conflict (including from the Government of South Sudan), to urge them to commit themselves to the process.We have been clear that any initiatives supported and delivered by the region must be complementary to the IGAD Revitalisation Forum.The renewed peace process must also allow full engagement of non-armed actors, including faith groups, young people, and women's groups, as well as refugees, those who have been internally displaced, and the diaspora. We have recently agreed a package of funding that will help the South Sudan Council of Churches to implement their Action Plan for Peace, which promotes the development of neutral fora in South Sudan where an inclusive dialogue can take place.

Canada: Foreign Relations

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve political relationswith the government of Canada.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK and Canada are already close allies. We work closely on defence and intelligence matters and enjoy close cooperation on many issues where we have commons aims and values. We are the only two countries that are members of all four of The Commonwealth, NATO, the G7, and the G20.The Prime Minister visited Ottawa on 18 September, to strengthen ties between the UK and Canada. During her visit, a new framework for cooperation was agreed, a new Strategic Dialogue involving our Foreign, Defence and Development Secretaries will be supported by a Public Policy Forum.

Taiwan: Sustainable Development

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to support the participation of Taiwan in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The United Kingdom believes that Taiwan has a valuable contribution to make on global issues such as the Sustainable Development GoalsThe UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan remains the same. The UK supports Taiwanese membership of international organisations where statehood is not a pre-requisite for membership. In situations where Taiwanese membership of international organisations is not possible, we welcome pragmatic solutions that allow Taiwan to contribute to the global good, such as Taiwan's voluntary efforts to support the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Israel: Palestinians

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the date of their most recent representations to the government of Israel about the treatment of Palestinian children arrested by the army of Israel, including representations about the practice of blindfolding; by whom, and to whom, those representations were made; what was the response; and what further action they will take (1) bilaterally, and (2) multilaterally.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK continues to have strong concerns about continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention, notably use of painful restraints and insufficient notification of legal rights. Our Ambassador to Israel raised concerns with Israeli Attorney-General Mandelblit on 3 October and the Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt also raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities during his visit to Israel in August 2017.We will continue regularly raising this issue with the Israeli authorities, and to press them to secure needed improvements to the practices surrounding military detention of minors. Whilst we have not engaged in formal multilateral discussions on the matter, we have nonetheless engaged on this alongside a number of European Partners.

Diplomatic Service

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the latest list of Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: A list of foreign heads of mission accredited to the UK is published on GOV.UK and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk. The precise number of people posted to foreign diplomatic and consular missions in the UK can vary from day to day, depending on the commencement and termination of individual tours. According to FCO records, on 24 November 2017 there were 5383 such individuals posted to the UK with immunity

Diplomatic Immunity

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the number of people accredited to Embassies and High Commissions in the UK who have diplomatic immunity.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: A list of foreign heads of mission accredited to the UK is published on GOV.UK and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk. The precise number of people posted to foreign diplomatic and consular missions in the UK can vary from day to day, depending on the commencement and termination of individual tours. According to FCO records, on 24 November 2017 there were 5383 such individuals posted to the UK with immunity

Department for Education

Pupils: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether parental consent was obtained by school attendance officers before parents were sent letters by researchers for the study entitled Unidentified Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is a major cause of school absence: surveillance outcomes from school-based clinics, published by the British Medical Journal in 2011.

lord agnew of oulton: The department has no direct knowledge of the study entitled ‘Unidentified Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is a major cause of school absence: surveillance outcomes from school-based clinics’, published by the British Medical Journal in 2011 or any activity undertaken by schools in connection with this study.

Adult Education

lord smith of clifton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the adult education budget in England in 2016–17 was allocated to 16–24 year olds (1) in total, (2) for those on first full Level 2 courses, and (3) for those on first full Level 3 courses.

lord agnew of oulton: The adult education budget funds learners aged 19 and over. It is not allocated by age group or qualification type and through freedoms and flexibilities providers can earn their allocation in line with the funding rules we set each year. Information on volumes of full level 2 and 3 qualifications can be found in table 3 of the further education and skills: November 2017 main table which is attached and also available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-and-skills-november-2017. Please note that this includes Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service provision and shows all level 2 and 3 qualifications not just first full level 2 and 3 qualifications.



Information on volumes of full level 2 and 3
(Excel SpreadSheet, 148.96 KB)

Students: Loans

lord smith of clifton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the resource accounting budgeting charge in England for (1) fee-loans for part-time higher education undergraduate students, (2) loans for adult learners at Level 3, (3) loans for adult learners at Levels 4 and5, and (4) future maintenance loans for part-time higher education undergraduate students.

viscount younger of leckie: The Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge for fee loans for part-time higher education undergraduate students is estimated to be around 40%.The RAB charge for Advanced Learner Loans at Level 3 is estimated to be around 50%-55%. The estimate includes Access to Higher Education (HE) courses which allow any learner progressing to HE to have their loan written off at the point of completing their HE course.The RAB charge for Advanced Learner Loans at Level 4 and above is estimated to be around 20%-25%.It is estimated that the RAB charge for part-time higher education undergraduate loans will increase to around 45% once maintenance loans have been made available to part-time students. The cost of the system is a conscious investment in young people. It is the policy subsidy required to make higher and further education widely available, achieving the government’s objectives of increasing the skills in the economy and ensuring access to university for all with the potential to benefit.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences

lord marks of henley-on-thames: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners in England and Wales who had been released after serving a prison sentence of less than a year went on to re-offend in each of the last five years.

lord keen of elie: The proven reoffending data for the last five years, for those released from a custodial sentence of less than 12 months is contained in the table below:New Data Source Jan-Mar 2011Apr-Jun 2011Jul-Sep 2011Oct-Dec 2011Adult offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)62.562.262.861.4Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)62.562.362.661.4Average OGRS4/G score55.655.555.855.5Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.535.435.505.47Number of reoffences28,16029,02630,15729,827Number of reoffenders5,0965,3415,4835,448Number of offenders in cohort8,1488,5868,7268,876 Juvenile offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)79.780.874.171.8Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.014.704.494.48Number of reoffences1,2371,1711,0771,196Number of reoffenders247249240267Number of offenders in cohort310308324372 All offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)63.262.963.261.8Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.505.405.465.43Number of reoffences29,39730,19731,23431,023Number of reoffenders5,3435,5905,7235,715Number of offenders in cohort8,4588,8949,0509,248  Jan-Mar 2012Apr-Jun 2012Jul-Sep 2012Oct-Dec 2012Adult offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)61.662.662.262.1Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)60.761.861.561.4Average OGRS4/G score56.456.456.256.3Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.455.585.705.68Number of reoffences29,58530,32030,81130,957Number of reoffenders5,4265,4295,4075,452Number of offenders in cohort8,8148,6758,6988,775 Juvenile offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)74.569.181.674.8Average number of reoffences per reoffender4.584.604.504.49Number of reoffences1,1098651,080812Number of reoffenders242188240181Number of offenders in cohort325272294242 All offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)62.062.862.862.5Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.425.555.655.64Number of reoffences30,69431,18531,89131,769Number of reoffenders5,6685,6175,6475,633Number of offenders in cohort9,1398,9478,9929,017  Jan-Mar 2013Apr-Jun 2013Jul-Sep 2013Oct-Dec 2013Adult offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)63.763.964.463.7Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)62.262.562.661.7Average OGRS4/G score57.157.057.557.6Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.825.715.985.92Number of reoffences29,43030,30331,10131,014Number of reoffenders5,0535,3095,1995,239Number of offenders in cohort7,9348,3078,0678,221 Juvenile offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)78.873.777.579.3Average number of reoffences per reoffender4.815.285.044.86Number of reoffences875665675724Number of reoffenders182126134149Number of offenders in cohort231171173188 All offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)64.164.164.764.1Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.795.705.965.89Number of reoffences30,30530,96831,77631,738Number of reoffenders5,2355,4355,3335,388Number of offenders in cohort8,1658,4788,2408,409  Jan-Mar 2014Apr-Jun 2014Jul-Sep 2014Oct-Dec 2014Adult offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)65.164.064.064.4Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)62.761.562.361.9Average OGRS4/G score58.058.157.358.0Average number of reoffences per reoffender6.096.136.146.08Number of reoffences30,61429,77730,49330,313Number of reoffenders5,0254,8564,9674,982Number of offenders in cohort7,7227,5917,7607,741 Juvenile offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)78.077.675.679.6Average number of reoffences per reoffender4.985.135.505.54Number of reoffences777728666693Number of reoffenders156142121125Number of offenders in cohort200183160157 All offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)65.464.364.264.7Average number of reoffences per reoffender6.066.106.126.07Number of reoffences31,39130,50531,15931,006Number of reoffenders5,1814,9985,0885,107Number of offenders in cohort7,9227,7747,9207,898  Jan-Mar 2015Apr-Jun 2015Jul-Sep 2015Oct-Dec 2015Adult offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)63.762.661.365.5Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)61.961.260.161.7Average OGRS4/G score57.457.056.859.5Average number of reoffences per reoffender6.216.005.936.01Number of reoffences28,28528,07426,34934,641Number of reoffenders4,5584,6824,4415,767Number of offenders in cohort7,1577,4797,2478,798 Juvenile offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)78.675.670.469.4Average number of reoffences per reoffender5.605.735.715.86Number of reoffences677567639545Number of reoffenders1219911293Number of offenders in cohort154131159134 All offendersProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)64.062.861.565.6Average number of reoffences per reoffender6.195.995.936.00Number of reoffences28,96228,64126,98835,186Number of reoffenders4,6794,7814,5535,860Number of offenders in cohort7,3117,6107,4068,932Notes1. These figures have been derived from administrative IT systems, which as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.2. A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period that leads to a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up or within a further six month waiting period to allow the offence to be proven in court.3. Number of offenders in each disposal category do not sum to the total number of offenders. This is due to a difference in methodology to provide a realistic and relevant view of proven reoffending by disposal type. The first event within each disposal is taken as the start point. Therefore, some offenders will appear in more than one disposal category.4. From October 2015 onwards, reoffending data are collected using different data sources to previous quarters. Therefore, users should be cautious when making any comparison between the October to December 2015 cohort and earlier cohorts.5. The average OGRS4/G (Offender Group Reconviction Scale) score is used to control for some differences in offender characteristics across different offender groups. OGRS4/G is based on a well-established, peer-reviewed methodology for assessing and representing reoffending risk.6. Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) is the OGRS4/G-adjusted reoffending rate for a given cohort. It is calculated as the observed reoffending rate for that cohort plus any difference between the OGRS4/G score in that cohort and the 2011 baseline cohort. This calculation standardises the mix of offenders in each cohort to the 2011 mix for that same cohort.

Custodial Treatment: Private Sector

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much have (1) G4S, (2) Sodexo, and (3) other private providers, been paid since 2010 in relation to the management of custodial services.

lord keen of elie: The following table displays how much has been paid to each provider for each financial year between 2010 and 2017. Provider10/1111/1212/1313/1414/1515/1616/17Serco106,940,025111,661,751138,650,582137,921,550129,425,771127,005,297114,800,695G4S123,010,997145,362,804184,584,750170,218,302170,601,923178,001,324162,964,503Sodexo94,060,07196,234,51795,770,086110,074,702138,045,759135,270,682110,094,491

Ministry of Defence

Sentinel Aircraft

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to keep Sentinel aircraft in service beyond 2021; and if not, how they plan to meet that capability requirement.

earl howe: The planned out of service date for the Sentinel aircraft is 2021. There are currently no plans to extend the out of service date. As with all capabilities, this is kept under review.

Littoral Warfare

baroness crawley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contributions of (1) HMS Albion, and (2) HMS Bulwark, to the UK’s overall amphibious capability; and whether they intend to decommission either vessel.

earl howe: The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review stated that one of the Royal Navy's two Landing Platform Docks would in future be placed at low readiness while the other is held at very high readiness for operations. HMS ALBION and HMS BULWARK have, accordingly, alternated in the low and high readiness profile since 2010. HMS ALBION recently exited her five-year period of low readiness following a successful regeneration programme and is now undertaking operational sea training.On current plans, the decommissioning dates for HMS ALBION and HMS BULWARK are 2033 and 2034 respectively. Speculation about the potential outcome of the National Security Capability Review is exactly that: speculation.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any part of the costs of aid given in connetion with the recent hurricanes and storms in the Caribbean and South-Western United States has come from the budget of the Ministry of Defence.

earl howe: I refer my noble Friend, the noble Lord Tebbit, to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster), in the House of Commons on 28 November 2017 to Question number 115053.



115053 - Islands: Hurricanes and Tornadoes
(Word Document, 12.53 KB)

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Services: Minimum Wage

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost to local authorities of the new requirement to comply with a social care providers scheme linked to payments for sleep-in care; and whether the new burdens doctrine will apply to such costs.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Work conducted by the Government during the summer highlighted the risk posed to the social care sector as a consequence of historical liabilities associated with "Sleep-in" shifts. The Government is exploring options to minimise the impact on the social care sector, including holding discussions with the European Commission. On 1 November 2017, in recognition of the extraordinary circumstances affecting the social care sector, HMRC introduced the Social Care Compliance Scheme. This is an interim enforcement scheme designed to facilitate a solution to the issue of National Minimum Wage underpayment for sleep-in shifts in the social care sector.

Department for International Trade

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the future involvement of the UK in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the government of Canada and the EU.

baroness fairhead: The UK Government is committed to seeking to ensure continuity in its current trade and investment relationships as we leave the European Union, including those covered by free trade agreements such as the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).On 18 September, the Prime Minister and PM Trudeau announced that both would work together to ensure a seamless transition of agreements such as CETA into new bilateral arrangements.

Department of Health

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has undertaken any evaluation of glucose monitors used by people living with diabetes; if so, whether such monitors are approved for use; and what assessment they have made of the decision taken by some Clinical Commissioning Groups not to prescribe such monitors to diabetes patients.

lord o'shaughnessy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has evaluated the following glucose monitors used by people living with diabetes: - Integrated sensor-augmented pump therapy systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes (the MiniMed Paradigm Veo system and the Vibe and G4 PLATINUM CGM system). NICE has evaluated these products through its diagnostics programme. The MiniMed Paradigm Veo system is recommended as an option for managing blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes only if they have episodes of disabling hypoglycaemia despite optimal management with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. - MiniMed 640G system with SmartGuard for managing blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes. This is a NICE advice product, developed under its Medtech innovation briefings (MIBs) programme. MIBs provide a summary of the best available evidence for selected new technologies and are designed to assist National Health Service planning and decision-making. MIBs are not designed to include treatment advice but provide a critical review of the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant evidence, therefore NICE do not make any recommendations for (or against) funding the device. - FreeStyle Libre for glucose monitoring, which measures interstitial fluid glucose levels in people with diabetes. This is also a Medtech innovation briefing therefore NICE do not make any recommendations for funding the device. In addition, the Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee (North), one of four Committees established by NHS England to provide advice to the NHS, reviewed the use of the Freestyle Libre at its meeting on 26 October 2017. In developing its advice, the Committee took into account the MIB published by NICE. The Committee has issued guidance on the use of Freestyle Libre suggesting a careful start to its use and data collection to better understand the benefits. Freestyle Libre has been approved for reimbursement on NHS prescription from 1 November through listing in Part IX of the Drug Tariff. NICE does not have a role in proactively monitoring the delivery of local services, so it has not made any assessment of decisions taken by some clinical commissioning groups not to fund these technologies.